adventures of a city girl gone country

Month: April 2017

I get all warm and flowy inside when I look at old Trees… Like old Houses and old People and old Dogs they just exude Wisdom and History and Gentleness…

Turn your dial to hear it if you can’t. It is there.

Back to my story that I just want to SHARE with you and it has been with me for years…

For you I did more in depth research and thus, if not for you , I would not be as twisty and bright as I am right now. Thank You!

I have a very strong Nordic Heritage. Back in the day the, ” Country”, was a line drawn on a piece of paper and the more I learn, the more I realize that it was about Clans, and Tribes and Family traditions and stories and Communities…

Folklore sounds like a fairytale or does a Fairytale sound like Folklore?

They both sound like makebelieve, but are they?

Snapping back to now I want to remind everyone that at one time it was all forest around here mostly and the tough settlers had to cut down trees and gather rocks in order to clear the field to plow.

In all Norse sources of traditions and beliefs you will find the story of the Yggdrasil.

This is a special Tree preserved in a new farm field for Good Luck and as a symbol of the connection between the Nine Worlds of the Norse Pagan Tradition. Of which present day Earth is one.

If anyone is interested, I would love to just discuss the Nine Worlds. Not now. 🙂

These Trees were considered guardians and bringers of Luck. I can see why. What a cool symbol to pick! A real old tree and let it stay? Plant around it? See it every day? I love this. I get this. It is not about Christianity vs. Paganism it is just about HOPE.

A symbol of HOPE.

As someone who has been dragged between hope and despair regarding my son’s mortality and making our way in the World and figuring out what Love is, I totally get why stressed people choose hope.

Lottery tickets and fad diets and internet dating sites are modern day vessels of Hope.

My beloved Wisconsin was settled by many Nordic and Germanic people who were oppressed and/ or starving in their Homelands and they headed here…

That takes Bravery.

Also a reasonably open border.

Please note that this is about Trees and not Religion. (or Politics?)

It might be about Immigrants… We’ll see.

Because: In my research I found strong evidence, (I am nothing if not a stickler for cross-references), that the Christian missionaries were instructed to destroy these Trees in those countries back in the day. These Eternal Symbols. These Entities that have lived one hundred years. A threat to conversion is a threat to conversion. Some things will never change.

I am not condemning. Oftentimes we know not what the ramifications of what we do and ALSO it is difficult to go against the crowd.

I just think GOD likes Trees and Hope… Just sayin’.

This one is mine. We have two but this is my favorite. I see it before my turn off the highway; this Tree welcomes me home.

This is the kind of old Oak tree one might tie a yellow ribbon around.

A Tony Orlando and Dawn reference I wonder who will remember?

Nevertheless my friends, you can be sure that Trees deserve some reverence and worship.

They PRODUCE oxygen. That stuff we need.

Besides the food for the many creatures they provide and the shade and protection from predators they provide and the fuel for humans to burn and material to build homes they provide, these amazing creations produce oxygen!

Thank God for Science. Yep I said it.

We learned as kids that you can figure out the age of a tree by counting its’ rings. It needs to be chopped down by Man or Nature first but whatever. Did you know that each ring is the light and the dark together? Also, that the light part is the water record of the amount that the roots were able to glean that year and the dark is the food for the tree that the leaves were able to make through photosynthesis that year?

Dang. Photosynthesis blows my mind.

Yes Virginia, this is all going on all around us all day everyday.

So. Since I have taken you down the nerd road look at this:

These. Are. Leaf Cells.

I don’t expect everyone to see what I see but I can’t NOT say that it comes down to this:

Trees can and will live without us and make no mistake they would surely do much better. But WE cannot live without Trees.

Spring is here and new Life and Hope emerges. The Yggdrssil is becoming a rare sight. Be on the lookout or stop over and I will show you mine and take you to this magnificent old Gal a few miles East. She’s a friend of mine. I can introduce you! 🙂

I am blessed with the most beautiful 10 year old Niece inside and out. She drew this just the other day while visiting me. I think I may demand a Tree drawing from all who visit!

May your roots be deep and strong and may you pass them on… May your trunk be thick and bold and be brave enough to go against the crowd… May your leaves be healthy and your crown shine brightly for all to see. I am here doing my part; you do yours…

I am sitting here in my spot trying to record the mating Owls in the woods with my iPhone in the window so I can try to share with you and I am thinking that I need to step up my game.

If I truly want to infect you and anyone and everyone with the rural, the sky, the slow, the NATURE, and I really truly do, I had better rock some better technology. Yes?

Don’t think I won’t…

Nighttime has its’ noises. The Wolves and Coyotes croon and yip and yap; The Owls are loud when they need to be in order to make more Owls. (wink)

The Morning is all the go getters. The Woodpeckers and other woodpeckers are all slamming into the dead wood having breakfast. The chirpy flitty ones are at the feeder and chatting and wrestling for a spot.

My Mother knew all the names and had informed me many times. I remember some, and I forget others. I was sure there would be more time for me to learn.

I have her, “Birds of Wisconsin”, book but I can’t or haven’t or won’t open it yet…

There are too many post it notes in there and private thoughts; I am still not ready.

Why should I be ready? Who ever is?

It is Spring now on our Earth and our Earth needs brave people and fierce people to convince others that; this planet will not sustain human life if we go as we are. It won’t. IT WON’T. ( the English language has always annoyed me; how is will not made into won’t). Whatever.

You can’t eat money. Cash burns quickly.

All I want is to wake some cool people up. All I want is to rattle some cages. All I want is to try and also not give up. I will never give up. Why should we ever give up?

So, it is Saturday night now and on Sunday I will do the put off and the hard and the heartbreaking so I can mend and get back out on the Battlefield. I will open that Bird book. I will do it for you!

We have to GO. We work we write and blather on and on and chat and dance and sing and go go go! Make it mean something.

Go and Do or Come and Be.

Challenge or Invitation take it as you will.

I can say please come help me make this land amazing; I can say coming here and working with me will be a life-changing experience. It is true and that would happen.

But I warn you that you will be infected with the love of the land and the love of the people who love the land.